Thursday, 12 July 2012

crowd funding for creative projects

Crowd funding describes a collective group of people who donate money to support efforts initiated by other people. A lot of people making smaller donations to help a dream take shape; rather than being funded by a loan or overdraft. Crowd funding supports many ventures, from movies, new software programs, musicians launching their career or going on tour, artists preparing for an exhibition, journalists (and bloggers) writing their words, and more recently crafters and makers and yarn lovers. Go read this great post by a Pozible success story, Kylie Gusset. She raised almost $40,000 to start up her Australian 'sheep farmer to knitting needles' project

We want to continue to offer our workshop and pop up events in our beautiful town, but to fulfill just a few of the many ideas we have, we need more funding than our kids' piggy banks! Our creative and arty gatherings and workshops are more than just a fun place to hang out and "do some art" (though that's enough on it's own). We started our events as a way to offer Murwillumbah and Tweed Valley residents something to do in town on a weekend, weekday or evening. More than this, we know that by offering different and exciting activities and events we will become a drawcard for visitors from further afield. Hey Maker has humble aims to be a push towards what will be a long journey of turning around the economic situation our town is currently experiencing. We know Murwillumbah is a grand place to visit, to live and to enjoy - we want to share this is everyone else.

Our vision includes inviting creatives who live within the Tweed Valley to share their skills and love of their craft, as well as entice nationally recognised creative people to come and hang out here for a little while (artist-in-residence and seminar style events).

Mostly we just want to make things, and share and connect. And to do it all while building some momentum about our little town.

Our goal of $11,700 is enough to start our ideas and put them into action. To rent studio space, to hire halls for workshop events, to buy art supplies, to establish an online presence, to pay our creatives and artists and designers, and to put the word out there in the wider community to invite people to visit our town, and stay a while.
{Our workshops won't always be free, but they will always be the best value and the most fun and presented by the most passionate creatives}.